Page 2 of Taken to the Deadlands

She turned back to the entrance, and whatever panic had been holding me back now forced the words out of me.

I might have been a scammer, but I wasn’t about to put that lady’s life in danger.

“Wait! I just—what the fuck are you?”

She turned to me, her black-painted lips turning into a wild smile. Her clawed hands came up to rub her chin.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she cooed. In a flash, she was in front of me again, invading my personal space. Her hands spread across the desk behind me, and I had to lean back so our lips wouldn’t touch. “Guess for me, spirit seer.”

I swallowed thickly. Her entire demeanor was playful, but something eerie radiated from her and had dread taking root in my stomach.

It was like she was dangerous but trying to play… innocent?

What the fuck is happening? Am I really playing a game with some sort of monster?

“You look too evil to be from heaven,” I murmured. “From hell?”

Her smile was so wide, it was like it split her face in half.

“A spirit seer should know that it’s called the Demon Realm now.”

I couldn’t help the huff that forced itself from my lips.

“Well,excuse me.”

She leaned back with a laugh. I quickly thought about grabbing whatever was left on my desk and hitting her over the head with it, but her eyes were back on me in milliseconds.

“The others will like you,” she said through her laugh. “A bit of an attitude is always fun in the beginning.”

In the beginning? What about the end? What is she going to do? Beat it out of me?

Not that’s a terrifying thought.

As she turned to look at the entrance, my gaze shot toward the back. There was another entrance there, but I had boxes of shit piled up in front of it. A total code violation, one I was now regretting. But if I could make a run for it?—

Clawed hands grabbed my hair and yanked my head back.

“Not so fast,” she threatened. “Can’t have the goods running off so soon, can we? Yourbuyermay like a bit of a chase, but I don’t.”

Ice cold fear filled my veins.

The fight-or-flight response kicked in, and I pushed her back as hard as I could. To my surprise, she actually stumbled. Maybe someone of her power wasn’t expecting their prey to fight back, but no matter. I would take it.

I used her stumble to my advantage, crawling over the desk, and bolting straight for the back door. All the papers, pens, andcups were flung across the floor. My heart felt like it was going to burst in my chest and blood rushed through my ears.

Faster. Go.

I stumbled, falling to the floor, but managed to push myself up and made a break for it.

I skidded to a halt when the shrill sound of Momo’s pained screams hit my ear.

My head whipped back to see the demon with Momo in her claws. She had her dangling by the scruff on the back of her neck. Momo was giving a hell of a fight, but the demon didn’t even blink. Not even when Momo sank her claws into her forearm.

“Run and I eat her.”

All my hair stood on end.

Run.My mind begged me.Run. Live. Forget the fucking cat.

---